SasuSaku - The Prodigy
by topik801
Summary: Sakura wants to bring Sasuke back, but Tsunade doesn't allow it. Meanwhile Taka appears in Konoha...
1. Chapter 1

- Forget that!

- But, Tsunade-sama…

- No buts, Sakura, I said NO! You're running before you can walk, Sakura! It's not the same Sasuke-kun you had known a few years ago, it's a criminal, an S-ranked nukenin!

- I'm well aware of it, Hokage-sama, but I'm only asking you for the one and only, last chance! If I fail…

- If you fail – the Fifth broke in – and the chances are you will, then you'll get beaten to a pulp! The best shinobis have tried to defeat him and they failed, and you think you're able to outsmart him on your own nonviolently? Don't be silly, Sakura…

- And just because they failed to bring him back by force, I want to try to do it my way!

- Do you really think Uchiha would fall for that? Baby, how do you imagine it? You'd find him and say "Sasuke-kun, I'm a medic-ninja, I want to help you, please, let me join your team" and he would just willingly go with it?

It cut her to the quick. She was fuming, tears rushed to her eyes.

- Whatever! Thanks for nothing! – she yelled.

- Haruno! I strictly forbid you to leave the village, understood!? And there's no discussion!

I turned on my heel and got to the door. I closed it behind me with such a strenght that it nearly fell out of hinges. Rushing down the corridor, I heard a loud bang of another desk broken by the infuriated Fifth that week. Another conversation about Sasuke, another denial... At this rate they won't be able to keep up on getting new desks for her! _I've had enough of this. I don't want to talk to anyone today._

I was walking home bumping into people I was passing by, and giving them glares instead of apologies.

_"I strictly forbid you to leave the village!"_ – I reminisced her ban - _that's a good one, and what else!? Just to let you know, you old hag, I will go to Sasuke, with or without your permission!_

Someone's sudden call brought me out of my thoughts.

- Sakura-san! Sakura-san, over here! – an unknown to me woman was calling my name and waving at me.

I ran up to her. She could have needed some help and then, as a medic-ninja, I would be supposed to help her. I looked at her interrogatively.

- This girl is urgently looking for a medic – she explained to me pointing at the panting girl, who was standing beside her.

- Over there… in the forest… my teammate… he's injured… - she stammered out breathlessly.

- Lead the way! – I said.

The girl was fast, I caught sight of her red hair as she dashed into the woods. She plowed through some bushes scratching her bare thighs, I followed her. Despite the fact that I was a fast runner, I couldn't catch up to her. _I guess her teammate has to be badly injured if she's in such a hurry._ A dozen minutes have passed, we've run a dozen miles or so. We were probably outside the village already. She stopped, finally! She bent down resting her hands on her knees. We both could barely catch our breath.

- It was… somewhere… here… - she managed to falter, puffing.

- He has to… be near… an injured man… can't just… get up and… go away…!

I heard a faint splash as I took a step back to have a look around, apparently, I must have accidentally stepped in a puddle.

_Where, the heck, did he go,__ he was supposed to stay here and wait for me! Oh, I hate the guy!_ – she kept swearing in her mind, nervously keeping a sharp lookout. She straightened her glasses automatically. _Here it is!_ She eventually saw what she was looking for. A puddle behind Sakura. A puddle that had just appeared there a few seconds earlier. A puddle that was able to shift around!


	2. Chapter 2

'Where, the heck, is he? He was supposed to stay here and wait for me! Oh, I hate the guy! – she was cursing in her mind, restively looking around. She straightened her glasses automatically. '_Yes!_' She had finally picked out what she'd been looking for. A puddle behind Sakura… A puddle which was not there a few seconds earlier…. A puddle that was able to move itself! A human being emerged from the puddle and arm of the white-haired boy entangled the girl's neck tightly. Admittedly, Haruno was temporarily barely able to breathe, but she could easily take a kunai out of her holster. She sank it into Suigetsu's hand unhesitatingly. Houzuki gave a loud shriek, his body involuntarily changed its state of matter, still remaining in its human form. A tenuous spout of some purple substance was slowly seeping into his transparent arm as if it was being injected with an invisible syringe.

- Poison? – Karin wondered, drawing back. Embracing her chance, Sakura wiggled out of water ninja's grasp. She speedily focused chakra in her fist and hit the ground. Four eyes managed to spring back, but Sui, who was losing control over his body, soaked into the fissured soil. Only his sword left on the ground.

- Move your ass, idiot! Someone's heading here! We cannot be seen! – he heard voice of red-haired girl. He had to get out as soon as possible. A trickle of water lazily began to climb up to create a puddle on the ground. Half of Suigetsu's body emerged from the puddle, he had turned blue in the face, probably because of poison's impact.

- I'm feelin' sick – he whined – Gonna puke…

- It's not time to barf! We gotta be outa here, now!

- So, that was supposed to be your 'badly injured teammate'!? – Sakura exclaimed. She could sense her sensei's chakra as he was approaching her. After a moment, Kakashi – who rushed to help his pupil when he felt the small earthquake that she had caused – got to the battlefield and scanned the opponents. Red-haired kunoichi knew that she had no chance to runaway with injured Houzuki by her side, so she hastily took out a scroll and a small bottle. She unrolled the scroll and spilled the content of the bottle on it.

- Kuchiyose-no jutsu!

Taka's members disappeared in puffs of smoke, using the inverted summoning jutsu.

- Kuso! – swore Hatake – Who were they? And what happened here? – he questioned his pupil .

- I have no idea, but I fell into their trap… - sighed pink-haired girl.

Kakashi and Sakura reported the incident to Hokage. The Fifth was very concerned about her apprentice, so she put her under permanent surveillance of ANBU, without Haruno knowing about it, which was believed to be done for her safety. Thence ANBUs' task was to surround her house and secretly spy on her, everything for her sake…

- And what are you doing here? – asked the youngest Uchiha when two of his teammates unexpectedly appeared in the hideout amongst puffs of smoke.

- Well… Our plan kinda… didn't work… - Karin started her explanation while holding staggering Suigetsu, whose face was still a bit blue.

- This I can say myself – Sasuke grunted – And?

Four eyes settled Houzuki down on the couch before she spoke.

- So… The plan was simple… I found a medic and managed to lure her into the woods and then it was his turn. The problem is, that shark-head let her sell him a pup! She hit him with a poisoned kunai and that was it! Then another shinobi showed up and we had to take to our heels…

- So you should fight her instead of… - interjected Suigetsu, pressing his stomach.

- Shut up, shark-head! You were told to fight and I was told to be the brains of this mission!

- You, the brains? You're thick as a br… - unfortunately, he was unable to finish the sentence – Beware, I'm gonna…! – he tried to warn, but he fell behind with it because a second later he threw up right on Karin. The girl stoically took off her glasses covered with barf and wiped it with her own blouse's cloth.

- Houzuki Suigetsu… YOU'RE GONNA DIE!...

„Her name is Sakura… At least that's how the woman called her. ", I reminisced Karin's words. There was only one girl in Konoha named Sakura that I had heard of. It was Haruno Sakura, my former teammate. The most annoying fangirl of mine. She used to be weak, me and that dope – Naruto always had to protect her. How come she'd become such a powerful kunoichi, I wondered. Well, that didn't matter, actually. I could just hope she was still as fond of me as she used to be and that she would willingly join my team. I had no time to waste – I packed my stuff and headed to Konoha.

I arrived to Hidden Leaf's gates late in the evening. Trespassing on Konoha's territory was a piece of cake to me. I assumed that my only problem would be to find Sakura's house, but as soon as I found it, another problem emerged - much to my surprise, the house was surrounded by ANBUs.

I woke up in the middle of the night. I had a feeling that someone had just entered my room and the feeling wasn't unfounded – my balcony door was open, and it wasn't me who had left it this way. I turned on my bedside lamp and looked around. There was nobody in my room, I didn't sense anyone's presence either. _'Maybe it was only my imagination?_', I thought to myself, but there was something that caught my attention. A small piece of paper was lying on my bedside table pressed with the lamp so that the midsummer night's zephyr wouldn't blow it away. I reached for it and froze – I would recognize this handwriting everywhere! There was no signature, but I could figure out who the author was by letter's content and the handwriting.

"**_ 1 AM, by THE bench. _**

**_P.S Beware, ANBUs may be watching you. _**"

I had no idea, why he wanted to see me, but I knew for sure – I would meet him and nothing was able to stop me!

- Long time no see, Sakura… - the way he called my name sent shivers up and down my spine. His voice was so deep, so low.

- S-Sasuke-kun…? Is it really you…?

- Yes, it's me.

All of a sudden, he appeared in front of me out of nowhere. I could see his thin silhouette, he was much taller than me.

- I have to say that you've impressed me… - he continued – I would never expect that you would be able to get rid of my teammates on your own.

- Are you telling me those two were…?

He nodded in answer not letting me finish the question, then took a step forward. The distance between us decreased to a few inches.

- The last time we were standing here, you begged me to take you with me, do you remember?

- How could I forget it…?

- This time I want you to go with me. I need you, Sakura…

I raised my head, as I was only tall enough to reach his shoulder.

- You… need me…? – I repeated not believing my ears.

- Don't make me repeat myself, Sakura…

- No, this can't be. I'm dreaming, aren't I?

He let out a deep sigh.

- You're not. So? Either you're coming with me or I'll make you…

Then I believed. That was definitely the same surly Sasuke-kun I'd known before. I had nothing to hesitate over, there was no use asking what did he need me for, I simply knew it was my only chance and I couldn't not waste it.

- I'm coming with you, Sasuke-kun!

- Right choice. You've already packed your things, haven't you? – he asked, but the fact that he was smirking suggested he'd already known the answer.

- A medic is always ready to go.

- Good. Now look into my eyes…

I did. And the last thing I remembered was Choku Tomoe. [the name of Sasuke's EMS pattern].


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up lying on a bed in some room, where was horribly chilly. A lamp on a bedside table was throwing milky flickering light onto walls of a small room. I lifted my eyelids slowly and looked around. I blinked a few times to get used to the dimness prevailing in there. _He_ was sitting at the bedside, staring at me with those glowing in darkness red eyes of his. So it was all real, it wasn't my imaginary invention – Sasuke was there with me, immediately, for the asking. I was about to cry from joy… At last I'm having my chance, Naruto doesn't have to keep the promise given to me – now everything's in my own hands!

She opened her eyes and fixed her gaze upon me at once. She quickly got into the sitting position. She was mouthing, staying motionless.

- Sasuke-kun… - she whispered at last, barely audibly. She was sitting in front of me scared, crying and vulnerable, exactly the same as I remembered her.

- You haven't changed a bit, Sakura…

She trembled at the sound of my voice. I assumed that a lovey-dovey greeting wouldn't avoid me, so , wanting to get it over with, I tacitly allowed her to hug me when she slowly sidled closer to me. She was embracing me tightly as if she wanted to crush me with those skinny arms of hers. I had absolutely no intention of hugging her back.

- I can't believe it's real… I've been missing you so much, Sasuke-kun… - she confessed quietly. Her words remained unanswered. We stayed like this for a while which let her calm down.

- Daijobu-ka? – I asked her after a moment. She nodded in response which I rather felt than saw since her face was still buried against my chest.

- That's enough – his tone was even more cold and uncaring than it used to be. He pushed me away both gently and firmly. But I didn't want to let him go, I wanted to embrace him forever, to have him always in my arms.

- From now on, you're a part of my team – he intimated. It was neither a question nor a request, rather a statement of fact. – I need you… Or rather I should say your medical abilities – he corrected himself.

Great-And-Almighty Uchiha Sasuke overtly admitting that he needs some help? – Unbelievable! And yet. He sighed deeply, then got up and went to the door. He didn't open it, though. He stopped with his hand on the door handle.

- Get some sleep, you have to be well-rested by the morning- it sounded almost like an order. He left the room, leaving me alone in the semidarkness.

I couldn't sleep that night. I had no idea, how much time had passed since Sasuke left my room, in this frigidity minutes dragged like hours. I got out of the bed and walked up to a moonlit door. I entered the room and turned on the light. It turned out to be the bathroom. Shower, bath, washbasin, toilet – something's wrong, I thought. I didn't know where I was but this place seemed to be too „neat" for a hideout of a group of wanted nukenins. I turned the tap in the washbasin and much to my surprise, hot water flowed. So there were running water and electricity in there – an abnormally luxurious place for a hideout! On the opposite side of the bathroom there was another door. Curious, I approached it and gingerly cracked it open, listening carefully. The crackle of fire was coming from the next room. I stuck my head into the room and had a look around.

- Shouldn't you be laying in your bed? – voice cooler than the air temperature in my room sounded in the darkness.

- S-Sasuke-kun…? It's your room? – I wondered.

- As you can see…

- May I come in?

- Yeah…

I closed the bathroom door behind me and walked up to the fireplace.

- You've got a fireplace! It would come in handy in my room, it's freezing in there…

Sasuke joined me and sat by the fire. He didn't response, he was sitting and staring blankly into the fire. It seemed to me that something was bothering him.

- Sasuke-kun? What happened? Why are you worried? – I asked, disquieted.

- I'm worried for the same reason, for which I've brought you here… You'll find out in the morning – he dropped the topic.

- May I stay here awhile? I can't fall asleep anyways…

- You can even sleep here if you want, you need to get some rest by the morning and I don't think I'm gonna sleep tonight…

- R-Really, may I? Arigatou…

We spent a few more minutes warming ourselves by the fire, then I went to bed. Sasuke laid down on the opposite side of the big double bed.

- Here, cover yourself – he said to me, throwing his duvet at me. I guess he was trying to be kind.

- Thanks… Oyasuminasai, Sasuke-kun… - I said and tightly mantled myself with the duvet. The bed linen smelt of _him._ I fell asleep.

The Fifth was in her cabinet since the morning. She was sitting by her desk and, yawning eftsoons, signing the documents handed her by Shizune, with a lazy movement of her right hand. Boredom was wafting in the air like dust, the silence was disturbed only by TonTon who quietly grunted from time to time.

- I'm fed up of it… - Godaime cried, yawning again.

- But, Hokage-sama, we've just begun…

- Ugh… Gotta have a drink – said Tsunade, reaching for the bottle which she had hidden under her desk – Wanna have some eyeopener? – she offered to her assistant.

- T-Tsunade-sama! You shouldn't…!

- Oh, don't yammer, Shizune, everyone has to have a drink once in a while…

Unexpectedly puffs of smoke filled the room. Two ANBUs appeared in the cabinet.

- Has anything happened? – asked Senjuu, coughing.

- Unfortunately, yes, Hokage-sama… - one of them confirmed her concerns.

- What's the matter?

- We were said to watch over Haruno Sakura. This morning we were about to take over from our colleagues but we found them unconscious on the rooftop of Haruno's house. In all probability, they've lost their memory… - the other one explained.

- WHAT? – The Fifth yelled, getting up from her wheelchair – And what about Sakura?

- We cannot exclude the possibility that she might have incapacitated them, using some kind of hypnotic that may cause also memory loss. We are sorry, but we have not found Haruno in her apartment. We have already searched the whole village from top to bottom but she is nowhere to be found…

- Kuso, this can't be… - Tsunade cursed, flopping back into her wheelchair – Dismissed – she said to the twosome masked ninja after a moment.

- Did Sakura left the village without your permission? – Shizune asked.

- Indeed… She did it out of spite, because we've quarrelled and I've forbidden her to leave Konoha… But I think I know who she went after…


	4. Chapter 4

Rain pouring down the window and raindrops dashing against the sill were the sounds that interrupted my sleep that morning. I could say that the day was going to be drab and unpleasant, even though I hadn't opened my eyes yet. The weather didn't make me want to leave my warm, convenient bed. Wanting to get some more sleep, I rolled over and reached out my hand.

- Mmmmm… Sasuke-kun?

I was surprised to feel the coldness of disheveled bed linen, which meant Sasuke was no longer in bed.

- Sasuke-kun!? – I called, abruptly sitting up. He was still in there. He was sitting by the fireplace, shirtless, ruminative. I got out of bed, laying my feet on soft fluffy beige carpet. Ecru walls made the room look cosy despite the nasty weather. Sasuke's pale skin barely stood out against them. I approached him and asked:

- Have you been sleeping at all?

He shook his head. I stood behind him and ran my fingers through his raven hair in a tender gesture, which made him turn his head away, irritated. The cursemark on his shoulder caught my attention, I was surprised to notice that the seal which Kakashi-sensei had put on it was gone. I automatically touched his skin as if to confirm my observation. Sasuke slapped my hand away.

- Don't touch me – he retorted – Go get dressed we don't have all day to waste…

- Gomennasai … - I murmured and went to the bathroom not to annoy him any more.

I'd realised that the "kindness" he showed the last night was only fleeting.

We left his room and entered a dark carpeted hallway. I felt Sasuke wordlessly grabbing me by my wrist and pulling me in some direction that only he had known. We went downstairs. I'd just noticed that all the doors we passed by were numbered – like in a hotel. I hadn't even managed to ask where we were going, he stopped all of a sudden and I bumped into his back. We were standing in front of room no. 6 which was situated at the end of the hall. Sasuke faced me. He was distressed again, or was it just my imagination?

- I'll show you why I've brought you here – he whispered. "Should I be afraid?", I thought to myself. He slowly opened the door we were standing in front of, entered the room and turned the light on. I followed him and what I saw there, frightened me. On a king size bed similar to the one in Sasuke's room, was laying Uchiha Itachi. His body was bandaged, but the dressing soaked with blood revealed his multiple injuries. I covered my mouth with my hand and looked at Sasuke.

- He's barely alive… Karin has been trying to cure him but she could only keep him alive for a few days longer…

- But… I thought you wanted to get your revenge, that you longed to kill him…? – I didn't understand what it was all about. Sasuke had always intended to kill his brother and then he apparently expected me to heal him.

- I did… - he admitted – Are you able to save him?

- If that's what you want me to do… I'll do my best… - I promised. I knew there was no time to waste, in that state Itachi could die before the sun comes up – I'll just need some things from my medical kit…

Sasuke nodded and left. He came back after a while, holding my bag with medical equipment in his hand. He passed it to me and headed to the door.

- Sasuke-kun… Would you…?

- Hmm…?

- Would you stay here with me? – I asked him. I preferred him to be beside me. Even though Itachi was unconscious, I didn't want to be alone with the older brother. Instead of responsing, Sasuke walked up to the fireplace and started fire with one of his jutsus. Then he leant against the wall, watching me deterge his brother's wounds. It became evident to me that Sasuke's earlier behaviour wasn't a display of courteousness, he just wanted me to be well-rested so that I could save Itachi, I guess that's why he'd let me sleep in his room. Surely Itachi was also the reason of Sasuke's gloominess…

Itachi was stable, still in coma but most of his wounds were healed up. I had no idea when he was going to wake up, but I knew his life was not in danger. I'd been healing him whole day. Non stop. His wounds were so severe that I'd almost run out of chakra, Sasuke had to let me use his to finish the treatment. He was sitting at the bedside, scrutinising each move of mine. He knew how exhausted I was. It was already dark, dusk was falling. I was bone-tired. It seemed to me that every blink of an eye lasted forever. I closed my eyes only for a moment, for a second. Jolt. Suddenly I felt Sasuke's strong hands clutch my arms.

- Sakura! – I heard his voice as though he was far away from me.

I was staggering, I was able to stand only thanks to Sasuke who held me. I can't remember how come I ended up in his lap… A moment later he was carrying me bridal style. I'd always wanted him to carry me that way but back then I was too exhausted to enjoy the moment… The bed, warm, comfortable, soft bed - that's what I needed, I definitely needed some sleep… The same room again… I snuggled my head down in my pillow which smelt of _him…_ Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his silhouette. He went out of the bathroom, shirtless… I felt the mattress bow under his weight. He spread the duvet over us both, I quivered when a cold drop of water fell on my neck from his wet hair. Then I could peacefully fall asleep, knowing he was there, laying beside me. My Sasuke-kun…

I was neither asleep nor wide awake. I was laying, my eyes closed, the only thing I could feel was somebody's weight on my chest.

- Sakura… - I rasped in a sleepy voice, forcing myself to open my eyes – It's uncomfortable, get off me!

But she didn't mean to get off, she was well away, brazenly snuggling against me even more in her sleep. I didn't intend to wait until she benignly wakes up herself, I might not have been able to go to this. So I sat up, offhandedly throwing her off. She stretched lazily, wiped her brow then gave me an absent-minded stare.

- I got you undressed last night, and dressed you in my T-shirt instead, so that you didn't have to sleep in your clothes… - I explained before she asked me. I just can't stand anyone getting into my bed in their clobber. She blushed, I guess she must have realised that the last night she didn't have her bra on.

- A-arigatou, Sasuke-kun… It's very kind of you.

When I put her in bed the last night, she was so tired she could probably remember hardly anything, on our way to bedroom she'd opened her eyes only few times.

- Did you sleep well, or are we staying in bed?

- I did, thanks… I'll go take a shower – she said, slighty abashed.

- Go.

She went. Noise of water running subsided after half an hour. Bathroom door creaked silently, cracked open and a pair of green eyes shyly peered through it. Then Sakura entered the room and stood right in front of me wrapped in white fluffy towel, barefoot, her hair wet. She was keeping hold of my T-shirt.

- S-Sasuke-kun… Where have you put my clothes?

In that moment the door cracked open and we saw Juugo.

- I beg your pardon, Sasuke-sama, I've knocked on the door but… - he froze up, embarrassed, surreptitiously looking at half-naked Sakura who was still holding a T-shirt with my clan's blazon in her hand.

- What do you want? – I asked.

- Oh, nothing much... As I can see the girl is here – he muttered – My apologies… - he said leaving the room.

- Who was he? – enquired Sakura.

- Juugo, he's on our team… You've already met the others.

- Oh no!

- What now? – growled.

- I've totally forgotten… The watery one, I can't remember his name, I've scratched him with a poisoned kunai, I bet the poor guy's been ill! I have to give him an antidota!

- He's been barfing for so long, he can barf an hour longer… First, you'll check on Itachi – I directed.


End file.
